February 2016

Speaking up for victims of sexual assault and rape at Attorney General Questions On Thursday 25th February I questioned the Solicitor General Robert Buckland MP on the failings of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in delivering a adequate level of care for victims. In its latest thematic review of Rape and Serious Sexual Offence units, Her Majesty’s Chief Prosecution Service Inspectorate …

The Labour Party secured an opposition day debate on Wednesday 24th February on police funding, crime and community safety. The debate was well attended by my fellow Labour colleagues where we spoke about the impact of Westminster cuts on policing and communities across England and Wales. I took the opportunity to raise with the Home Secretary the effects of the cuts …

This morning I asked Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb MP whether or not he has received confirmation from the Treasury that the UK Government will match the pledged investment of £580m for the project. The Cardiff City Deal is a fantastic chance for Cardiff to continue its rapid growth. The projected deal would bring increased investment in business …

Last week we heard from the Prime Minister about his hopes and dreams of prison reform for England and Wales, how he wanted to see “a modern, more effective, truly 21st century prison system”. He spoke of his optimism for rehabilitating prisoners into “potential assets” and his vision of reforming prisons so that they “empower staff, charities and businesses to innovate …

It’s been a very busy month for me in the Shadow Justice Team. On 26th January it was Justice Questions in the House of Commons. I took the opportunity to raise the statistic to the Minister for Prisons, Andrew Selous that Prison Service anti-riot squads were used on 339 occasions in 2015; which was an increase of 52% compared to 2014. …

Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate this morning, I raised the issues surrounding Lynx House temporary accommodation facility in Cardiff. The facility has been under scrutiny recently, initially due to the practice of forcing asylum seekers to wear wristbands to access meals. Following this investigation in The Guardian a raft of other issues have come to light, including a lack of …

Today is National Voter Registration Day. Bite the Ballot and partners are coordinating the UK’s third annual Drive to get people registered on the electoral register. The timing could not be better for this campaign, considering how this week Guardian have announced that an estimated 800,000 people have dropped off the electoral register since the Government introduced changes to the system, with students …